New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is planning to promote domestic bamboo industry which is going to play a critical role in shaping the post-COVID economy of India, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday.
Addressing two separate webinars on ‘World Bamboo Day’, Singh said the Northeastern region will be one of the favourite business destinations of India post-COVID-19 and bamboo is going to be the key pillar of economic activities.
He said many business houses are looking at the Northeastern region to exploit its vast agro-farming resources and people should not miss this opportunity. “Modi government is planning to promote domestic bamboo industry, which is going to play a critical role in shaping the post-COVID economy of India,” the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) said.
Describing bamboo as a silver lining in the dark clouds of the pandemic, Singh said it will help in shaping the economy of the North East and the entire country in post-COVID era.
He said it will also herald a new momentum for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call of ‘Aatma-nirbhar Bharat’ by focussing on “Vocal for Local”.
He said the sensitivity with which the Centre views the importance of bamboo is evident from the fact that it has amended the century-old Indian Forest Act by taking home grown bamboo out of the purview of the Act, in order to enhance livelihood opportunities through bamboo.
He also welcomed the decision of the Centre to raise the import duty by 25 per cent on raw bamboo items. Singh said this will help the domestic bamboo industries like furniture, handicrafts and ‘agarbatti’ making in a big way and promote use of bamboo as building material. (PTI)
